Starmer faces pushback for opening door to Palestinian statehood
The Prime Minister said the UK could take the step of recognising Palestine's statehood in September, ahead of a major UN gathering.
The UK will only refrain from doing so if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, stops annexing land in the West Bank, agrees to a ceasefire and signs up to a long-term, peace process over the next two months.
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The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Warning to Starmer's cabinet as anger grows over Palestine
Sir Keir Starmer 's decision to recognise Palestinian statehood later this year may not safeguard some senior Labour cabinet members from losing their seats, pollsters have warned. Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood are among those identified by top pollster Sir John Curtice as facing significant challenges from pro-Gaza candidates. Pollsters suggest that widespread anger over the Palestine issue, amplified by Jeremy Corbyn 's new party campaigning on it, could lead to high-profile casualties for Labour. The move on Palestinian statehood is considered insufficient to address deeper resentments among Muslim voters, who feel neglected by Labour, a sentiment compared to the impact of Brexit on 'red wall' voters. Sir John noted Labour's difficulty in maintaining support from both Jewish and Muslim communities, alongside a broader struggle to articulate its direction and reconnect with the wider electorate.
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Protesters clash outside London migrant hotel
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Protesters from opposing sides are clashing outside a central London hotel, which houses migrants. Hundreds have gathered to protest against the Thistle City Hotel in Islington used to home migrants, which has also sparked a major counter-protest. People from Stand Up To Racism attracted a crowd with dozens of 'smash racism' placards and chants of 'Nazi scum off our streets,' while across the road anti-migrant group Patriots of Britain supporters flew Union Jack flags and chanted 'pedophiles' at the counter protest. Police have thrown a ring of steel around the hotel and are separating the two groups with hundreds of officers at the scene. Stand Up To Racism national officer Samira Ali, 25, said: 'We are here today to show our opposition to the far right who are trying to whip up hatred against refugees. 'We want Keir Starmer to stop blaming migrants for all our problems and stop appearing Reform. From the government's point of view they could start putting in place safe routes and make society welcoming for refugees.' Among the anti-migrant protesters, Epping resident Debbie Jones said she had come to the protest as she had previously lived in the area and believed it has become 'unsafe' for women and girls due to the migrant hotel. The 65-year-old said: 'I used to play on my own here until it was dark – now I would let my nine-year-old granddaughter out. 'We're surrounded by undocumented, inverter men who are coming over and assaulting our young girls. It's been happening in Epping. 'The first step is putting the Royal Navy in the Channel and stopping the boats. The second step is putting all the migrants in an army camp.' Debbie added that she did believe that migrants and refugees did deserve to be 'looked after' – and she had sympathy for refugees' plight as her Jewish grandparents had fled the Nazis in Germany during the Second World War. She said: 'We can be a generous country. I wouldn't be here if we hadn't let in my grandparents. You can come from Mars for all I care. But when you come here abide by our laws and you assimilate.' Luke Daniels, who has lived a short walk from the hotel for more than 40 years, said: 'This community has lived in harmony for a long time. In all that time there has not been any incidents of racist attacks – and we want to keep it that way.' Responding to other residents concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour from some hotel occupants, Luke said: 'There has always been anti social behaviour, it's been going on a long time. It's not surprising that some are committing bad behaviour but alot of them are coming from war zones.' The Islington resident believe that migrants in hotels should be allowed to work and that this would help integration. He said: 'Most of the migrants are fit. Let them contribute to society.' Paul Melbourne, 44, was campaigning against the hotel being used to house migrants and said it was a 'disgrace.' He said: 'They drag the area down. There's been an awful lot of problems and issues since they arrived. Crime has increased. Everyone is on edge.' Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, addressed the crowd with a speech against politicians 'appeasing fascism.' She said: 'We don't want politicians who appease racists, we don't want politicians who appease fascists, you're not fooling us.' Shortly after, dozens of police had to move swiftly to contain a hundred-strong group of anti-racism activists, many wearing black masks and flying Palestine flags, which broke away from the main group and was headed towards the anti-migrant crowd. They were yelling and shouting abuse. More Trending Anti-racist protesters – kettled by a half dozen police vans and dozens of officers- confronted the police with chants of 'Who do you serve, who do you protect'. Other chants included 'Where's your Tommy gone -far, far away', referencing Tommy Robinson leaving the UK as police look to speak to him about a suspected assault in St Pancras last week. Toni Hine, a 42-year-old receptionist who has lived in nearby Golden Lane her whole life, addressed the anti-migrant protesters, calling for the government to shut down the hotel. She said: 'I don't blame them in the hotel. I blame the government. They don't live here, they're not dealing with the issue.' It comes after hundreds of far-right protesters surrounded a hotel which once housed asylum seekers. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: This 'useless' Tube line is home to London's most expensive mortgages MORE: Oasis setlist in full and stage times as Gallagher brothers' London tour continues MORE: London's 'quaint' borough is the cheapest to rent at £1,485 — but it might not be for long
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Top cabinet ministers at risk of losing seats even after Starmer recognises Palestinian state, pollsters warn
Sir Keir Starmer 's historic decision to recognise Palestinian statehood later this year will not be enough to stop some of his top cabinet ministers from facing major battles to hang on to their seats, leading pollsters have warned. Health secretary Wes Streeting and justice secretary Shabana Mahmood are among those who could be ousted from parliament at the next general election, the UK's top pollster Sir John Curtice warned, in the face of major challenges from pro-Gaza candidates. Sir Keir lost a key member of his top team, Jonathan Ashworth, to a pro-Palestine independent candidate at the last election. Mr Streeting was among those who held his seat, but saw his majority in his Ilford constituency slashed from 5,198 in 2019 to just 528. But pollsters now warn anger over the issue of Palestine, which Jeremy Corbyn's newly announced political party will attempt to capitalise on, could see Mr Streeting and other high-profile casualties from the cabinet. Labour pledged to recognise a Palestinian state in its manifesto before the last general election, and Sir Keir this week bowed to growing pressure from his own MPs – and some high-profile members of the cabinet – to lay out a plan to recognise the state of Palestine. Asked if the move on Palestinian statehood could help save Mr Streeting and Ms Mahmood next time around, Sir John told the Independent that it 'may not be sufficient given the current condition of the Labour Party'. Luke Tryl, from pollsters More in Common, was more blunt. 'No,' he said. Sir John added that it was clear that Starmer had also 'lost out' on votes in his own constituency last year because of the issue, although the PM's majority is significantly larger than some of his cabinet colleagues. After promising to tackle Labour's antisemitism crisis when he came to power, Sir John summed up the PM's problem: 'Here is somebody who spent a great deal of time and effort trying to reconnect with the Jewish community, and now he's finding himself having to spend a great deal of effort trying to reconnect with the Muslim community. It is very difficult to keep himself on board with both groups at the moment.' Mr Tryl said the war in Gaza had uncovered 'deeper' problems for Labour. 'When we have done focus groups with voters in Muslim areas, particularly some of those who backed or were thinking about backing pro-Gaza independent candidates, I compared it to speaking to voters in the red wall after Brexit,' he said. 'In the sense that Brexit was the thing which caused the split, but it actually brought to the fore much deeper resentments - that they have been taken from granted, ignored, left behind by Labour … I think we're going to see exactly the same thing with Muslim voters.' Mr Corbyn confirmed his party would campaign heavily on Palestine when he launched it last week. Sir John said that the polling suggested that the new party would take the most votes from the Greens, followed by Labour. But he added, when it came to a new party run by their ex-leader: 'Given that Labour, even without Corbyn being put onto the hypothetical ballot, are behind Reform, they don't really want this.' Sir John said the Palestine announcement could be seen, in one way, as an example of Labour's problem connecting with the wider electorate. Asked what the party could do to win back voters across the board, he said: 'Explain to people what you are about. It's the point that everybody's making now. This is a government that has no known direction. And of course, some people are painting (the Palestine move) as yet another example of policy change. 'In terms of substance, (Labour should) turn around the economy and make sure that the health service doesn't have long waiting lists. It's not complicated, just very, very difficult to do.'
